Hushi’s Advice to Undermine Absalom |
2 Samuel 17:1-29 The Book of 2 Samuel [in Smaller Chunks] |
[Also,] Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me now choose 12,000 men & I will [get up] & pursue after David this night. And I will come upon him while he is [tired] & weak & will make him afraid & all the people with him shall flee. |
I will [kill] only the king & bring back all the people to you. The man you seek, [king David, is all but] returned [to you,] so all the people shall be [at] peace. This pleased Absalom & all the elders of Israel. |
Then, Absalom said, Call Hushai, the Archite, now & let us [also] hear what he says. When Hushai [came] to Absalom, Absalom [said,] Ahithophel has [said this.] Shall we do [what he said?] If not, [tell me.] |
Hushai said to Absalom, The [advice] Ahithophel has given isn’t good at this time. Hushai said, You know your father & his men [are] mighty men & [are enraged like] a bear robbed of her [cubs] in the field. |
Your father is a man of war & won’t [camp] with the people. He is now [hidden] in some pit or other place. It will [happen,] when some of [your men are] overthrown, at [the beginning,] that [whoever] hears it will say, There is a slaughter [of] the people [who] follow Absalom. |
The hearts of [those who] are valiant, whose heart is [like] the heart of a lion, shall [totally] melt. For all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man & [those] with him are valiant men. |
Therefore, I [suggest] that all Israel from Dan to BeerSheba [is] gathered to you, [like] the sand of [seashore in number, so] you go to battle [in] person. |
So, we can come upon him [where he is hidden] & we will [fall] upon him [like] the dew falls to the ground & there shall not be left, so much as 1 of him & all his men with him there. |
[Additionally,] if he has [gone] into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city & we [drag] it to the river, until not 1 small stone [is left unturned,] [until we find David.] |
Absalom & all the men of Israel said, The [advice] of Hushai, the Archite, is better than [Ahithophel’s.] For the Lord [God] had [planned] to defeat [Ahithophel’s advice, in order] that the Lord might bring [harm] upon Absalom. |
Then, Hushai said to Zadok & to Abiathar, the priests, [This is Ahithophel’s advice to] Absalom & the elders of Israel & [this is my advice.] Therefore, now quickly send & tell David, saying, [Don’t camp & spend]this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily [cross] over; lest the king & all the people with him [are overpowered.] |
Now, Jonathan & Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they [dared] not be seen [coming] into the city & a [woman] went & told them & they went & told king David. |
[Still,] a lad saw them & told Absalom, but they both [got] away quickly & came to a man’s house in Bahurim, [that] had a well in his court [yard, where] they went down [into it.] |
The woman took & spread a covering over the well’s mouth & spread ground corn [on it,] so [that it] wasn’t known. When Absalom’s servants came to the woman [at] the house & they said, Where [are] Ahimaaz & Jonathan? |
The woman said to them, They [have] gone over the brook of water. And when they [looked] & couldn’t find them, they returned to Jerusalem. It [happened,] that after they departed, they came up out of the well. |
[They] went & told king David & said, Arise & [cross] quickly over the water, [since] Ahithophel has [given advice] against you. David & all the people with him arose & [crossed] over [the] Jordan. By [dawn,] there [wasn’t] 1 of them [who hadn’t] gone over [the] Jordan [River.] |
And when Ahithophel saw his [advice] wasn’t followed, he saddled his [mule] & arose & [went] home to his house [in] his city & put his household in order & [hung] himself. [He] died & was buried in the [tomb] of his father. |
Then, David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom with all [his] men of Israel [crossed] over Jordan. And Absalom made Amasa [the] captain of the [army] instead of Joab. Amasa was [Ithra’s] son, an Israelite [who was intimate with] Abigail, the daughter of Nahash & [was the] sister [of] Zeruiah, [who was] Joab’s mother. |
So, Absalom & Israel pched [tents] in the land of Gilead. It [happened,] when David [came] to Mahanaim, that Shobi, the son of Nahash [from] Rabbah, of the children [people] of Ammon; Machir, [Ammiel’s] son, [from] Lodebar & Barzillai, the Gileadite, [from] Rogelim, |
Brought beds, [basins & clay containers] & wheat, barley, flour, [dried corn,] beans, lentils & [dried grain,] honey, butter, sheep & cheese [from cow’s milk,] for David & the people [who] were with him, to eat. For they said, The people [are] hungry, [tired] & thirsty in the wilderness. |